Education Stalwarts 2021 | Mr. Mansoor Ali Khan, Founder of School of India, Member Board of Management of DPS | Leaders in Education
Mr. Mansoor Ali Khan, Founder of School of India, Member Board of Management of DPS, one of the top Leaders in Education is with EducationToday sharing his experience.
The Education Sector is considered to be the most dynamic and domineering sector in any country irrespective of the circumstances or conditions prevailing there. Coming from a family with a deep rooted interest in politics and welfare of the people, I very well understand that the role and importance of education can never be undermined because this is the foundation stone for the whole economy as well as for all the other professions. As we know, a teacher teaches all the other professions. Teaching is the basic foundation for the growth of any country, and I have always aspired passionately to contribute to this foundation.
Right from my early age I had watched my father, Mr Rahman Khan, manage the Al-Ameen institutions. I was immensely inspired and fascinated by him and the work that he did in the field of education. This also gave me an insight on how educational institutions were managed and run in those days. I also understood that back then, in 1975-79, it was the need of the hour for inclusion of quality in private education in the society. I had always looked upon my father as my role-model, and when I got the opportunity to work with the Al-Ameen Institution, later as a trust we decided to start DPS in Karnataka with an objective to provide quality education at an affordable price to a large population of people seeking quality and holistic education for their children.
I am an active citizen of this country who believes in the immense potential we have as a populace. I believe that education and politics are two significant factors in bringing about the required changes in society. My career framework has been diverse and multi-faceted which has helped me greatly in charting through my desire to establishing one of the leading conglomerate group of schools, Delhi Public Schools in Karnataka.
My association with Al-Ameen College from 1996-1999 as in-charge of Communication and Computer technology marked the beginning of my involvement in the world of education with a passion and commitment to establish one of the finest schools in Karnataka with a mission to provide world adaptable and holistic education to the future generation of our country. Further to that, being Director of Decipher System Pvt limited from 1999- 2004 calibrated me to enhance my inter-personal skills which is the bedrock of success in managing Human Resource in any Industry.
In 2001, we established the First DPS Bangalore South in Karnataka followed by DPS Bangalore North in 2002, DPS Bangalore East in 2006-7, DPS Mysore in 2012 and finally DPS Electronic city in 2013. We also forayed further and built another chain of schools called School of India. The endeavour is to provide quality education at an affordable price in tier two cities. In continuation with establishing quality learning and maintaining high standards in the ever-evolving expectations of the Guardians of Education and expectations of parents, my engagement as Secretary of Management of Independent CBSE Schools Association (MICSA) from 2010 onwards has helped further in strengthening the educational infrastructure, and has helped me in understanding education policies, which is imperative for the efficient running of educational institutions.
I believe in being the change you want to see. In the course of my career, I have realised that ‘idealism and realism’ are the two leadership qualities that truly inspire and organize people. Separately, these qualities are inadequate and ineffective, but together they create a powerful tool for engagement. Adaptability and resilience are like two sides of a coin for us. We work hard with diligence, unlearn and relearn thereby converting every opportunity into a successful endeavour. As a visionary, it is important for me to be involved in the change I foresee and bridge the gaps between the past, present and future! I believe in leading by example and therefore am very involved in all the ventures undertaken.
My father, who is my role model, was the harbinger of change. He believed in the elevation of society and the best way to do so is by working towards facilitating excellence in education. I was intrigued by the power of education and was instantly drawn to make things happen. That was my calling. As a leader, my thoughts always start with the question: how can things be better? I find it fruitful to start with optimism and then quickly plan on to how to execute against that objective. We believe in creating active and innovative citizens, and problem solvers who will make a niche for themselves in the society and think like entrepreneurs, beyond the box. I have always believed that the purpose of education is to serve the larger picture; it is an amalgamation of knowledge, the right skills and attitudes, and must be a structured process.
I have a dream – a dream of fulfilling the altruistic vision of enabling our dynamic young generation into true nation builders who will lead our country in the future.
When I began my journey as an educator, my aspiration was to continue with the good work my father had started, yet bring about newer elements that would yield tangible results for the coming generations. I believe in building a strong foundation with the essential components that would go a long way in each child’s life to help realize the life of his/ her dreams. We were one of the first schools to integrate technology with pedagogical practices; become a green school; create a public – private partnership and work towards the development of the needy through our Shiksha Kendra programmes and adoption of villages. I work very closely with my cohort of Principals, Vice Principals, and the teaching and non – teaching staff members in translating my aspirations into reality.
I am optimistic that we will create leaders, not followers to attain maximum potential, and that with the change in education ideologies we are focusing on so passionately, we are on our way to creating innovators who will take our nation to the forefront in future.
We at Indian schools are battling with large numbers in classrooms, but I am sure that by igniting the flame of passion for learning in our students and engaging highly passionate teachers, we are at a war-footing in tapping India’s unmatched potential and giving it a lead in the world. For every challenge and obstacle coming in the way of education, I believe we will find an answer to dealing with them via our ability to think positively and creatively to solve problems.
Do check out experiences shared by our top 50 leaders in education. All of the Leaders in education who have shared their experience with us have been motivating and life changing.
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